Returned
by Kitsune Hanyou
Summary: Ed finally returns Al to his body, only to be caught in the act.


* * *

A/N: Ok, I know it has been forever since I wrote a fic. I had no computer on which to type, and that totally sucked. I am slowly getting back into writing and hope to update my others very soon. I had a really horrific two weeks and this is what came out.

No flames unless you read the entire thing! I read it to a friend and she was screaming at me halfway through, I told her to wait until I was done. When I finished, she yelled that I had to post it. Thanks for getting me back into anime Amy!

Returned

Kitsune Hanyou

"It's finally happening, Al," Edward said, excited and fearful all at once. The array was carefully drawn; he was terrified of messing up. There was a reason Human Alchemy was forbidden. He would never forget that, but it was his sin to bear. Alphonse deserved to be human again; to play and be fifteen years old.

"I'm ready." Ed didn't need to look at his brother to know the sharp nod his brother had given him, the loud clank of metal was enough. "Don't worry, brother, we have the Stone this time." Al always knew when his older brother was nervous.

Ed gave his brother a wide, mischievous smile, "Maybe I'll transmute you smaller so I can finally beat you in a fight?"

Al laughed, "You'll never be able to beat me, no matter how small you make me!"

Ed laughed. They were both stalling.

"Ed?"

"Yeah, Al?"

"I haven't felt anything in so long; do you think it'll hurt?"

Ed swallowed nervously, "I don't think so. I didn't feel any pain at the gate until…until they took my arm. You're gonna come back fine. Maybe we could even get Mrs. Hughes' to make one of her cakes! They're amazing."

"Mmm…to eat again. Let's do this, brother." Alphonse stepped into the center of the elaborate array.

Ed tried to steady his trembling fingers as he knelt down, preparing to activate the transmutation circle. "All right, Al." He took a deep breath, clapped his hands together and touched the edge of the circle.

A blue-white light lit the outline, there was a blinding flash and he was at the gate smiling at his brother's toothy grin. As suddenly as his brother was smiling at him, something went wrong. Al's smile fell, he began to tremble and as Ed started to call his brother's name, the nothingness surrounding the Gate echoed with an earsplitting scream.

"Alphonse!" The older boy screamed, and when he tried to reach out, there was another flash and he was lying, exhausted, next to the slightly smoldering array.

"Al–phones," he forced the name out. It hurt to breath. He didn't want to look at what he'd done. What if he'd failed again? The image of the mangled body that had supposed to have been his mother invaded his mind. The thought of Al like that…

Yet, he had to see. He forced his eyes open. There, in the center of the array, a small, naked, blonde haired boy laid curled into a ball, trembling, eyes tightly shut.

"Al?" Ed breathed, gathered all his remaining strength and crawled to his brother. He reached out carefully, tears in his eyes, afraid to touch the younger boy. "Alphonse?" The smaller boy forced his eyes open, only to shut them again after a split second. Though, that split second was all the time Ed needed to see the intense pain and fear reflected in those grey-green eyes. With a surge of adrenaline, Ed gathered his younger brother in his arms, "Alphonse! Al! Talk to me, what's wrong?" He started trembling himself as he watched tears slowly slide from beneath Al's closed eyes. "Damn it, Al! What's–" with a gasp he realized that Al wasn't breathing. He shook his younger sibling, "Breathe, Al!" He hit the boy's back, "You gotta breathe, damn it!"

A wretched sounding gasping-cough echoed off the walls, followed by a whimper. "Al, what's wrong?" Ed forced his brother to look at him; Al was still struggling to open his eyes. "Alphonse," he tried desperately to steady his voice; he needed to be calm, reassuring. "C'mon, little brother, talk to me. Are you hurt?"

Al nodded slowly.

Ed scrutinized his brother's body, still embarrassed that the boy was naked, but if he was hurt, that took priority. There were no wounds. He tugged off his red coat and wrapped Al in it. He looked around for materials to transmute into a wagon or something to help carry his brother. "We'll get you to headquarters, they'll help. Don't–"

"Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric, you are under arrest for practicing Forbidden Alchemy. Give yourself up."

Before he could process what was going on, Ed found himself and his brother surrounded by soldiers and state alchemists he didn't recognize. They must have known him, he reasoned, by the way their guns trembled. He didn't think he could transmute anything if he tried, though.

"Step away from the chimera, Fullmetal."

"He's not a chimera! He's my little brother, Alphonse. Where's Mustang?"

"The colonel has other matters to attend to. And everyone knows your brother is seven feet tall." The unknown alchemist cleared his throat, "Now step away from it, before we are forced to kill you as well."

Ed ground his teeth and gave his brother a weak hug before attempting to stand. It was a valiant attempt, but his legs would not hold him.

The alchemist growled, "Get away, Fullmetal, with your hands above your head or we open fire."

The sixteen year old leaned over his silently crying brother. "Hold on, Al. Just hold on." He clapped his hands together but didn't get a chance to touch anything as two soldiers grabbed his arms and held them apart. "No!" Ed yelled as they fastened some type of special bonds around his wrists that didn't allow his hands to touch. He struggled with all his might, but couldn't break free. He struggled harder when they roughly grabbed Al and pulled the boy to his feet. Al hung limply in the soldiers' grasp, head lolling back and forth, tears still falling.

"Stop!" Ed cried again, he would beg on hands and knees if it would keep them from hurting his little brother. "Please stop. Can't you see he's hurt?"

The alchemist didn't listen, "Throw the chimera in the cage and ship it to the lab."

"Cage?!" Ed breathed, anger filled him, "He's a human being, damn it! And he's hurt. You can't throw him in a cage!" He pulled at the guards grasp, yelling him brother's name.

"Get him out of here."

The soldiers began to drag him away. "No! Al! Alphonse!" One of the soldiers, finally sick of his screams, hit the base of the teen's skull with his gun, knocking him out cold.

* * *

Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang was so angry he was having trouble formulating words. He had pulled off his gloves out of fear that he would burn all of headquarters to the ground. "You did what?! Who authorized that?!"

"Fullmetal was trying to create a human chimera without the state's knowledge. We have arrested him and captured the beast."

"Beast?" Roy thought for a moment, _Alphonse_. "What happened to this beast?"

"You know how chimeras are; they don't live very long. It died this morning. The scientists and soldiers were both a little taken aback by its resemblance of such a young human boy; but I guess that just reaffirms why they call Fullmetal a prodigy. I'm confident that once they have dissected and studied it, we'll know what it was a mix of."

"How did he die?" Roy gritted his teeth. He needed the information, if only for Edward's sake.

"It," the alchemist corrected. "Strange, really. It refused to eat or drink anything, and it appeared malnourished when we found it. It amazingly kept trying to speak. It took nearly twenty-four hours until it finally managed to say a word."

Roy was almost afraid to ask, "What did it say?"

"Kept repeating the same thing, over and over, as if it was the only thing it could say. Probably was. It said, 'brother'."

Roy visibly cringed, an image flashed in his mind of a small boy tied immobile, more than likely in pain, screaming for help from the only person who had always been there. "Has Fullmetal been told this?"

The man seemed flustered, annoyed, "Of course not. Besides, Fullmetal is still unconscious in medical."

Roy stood, "Thank you, I want the full report on my desk within the hour."

The alchemist placed a file on the colonel's desk. "Sir, I've already compiled the report. This happened early this morning; everything is in there except the autopsy notes. They were just starting it when I was ordered here."

Roy was desperately trying to reign in his anger. _Dissecting_? Hadn't those two been through enough? Roy had tried to protect them, only using the threat of turning them over to the authorities as a way of getting the teenaged alchemist to follow orders and be careful. He never would have actually turned the boys over to these butchers. He was in command here. How could anyone have been able to go around him and arrest one under his command without his knowledge? Someone very high up must have wanted this. _Who_? This was why he wanted to be Fuehrer. He could have stopped this. They were just boys. Ed's life was his younger brother. What would happen now? "Thank you." He said coldly, "I'd like the rest as soon as you have it. Dismissed."

"Sir," the alchemist left the office with a satisfied smile.

Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye was staring at the man she had sworn to protect. "Sir, Alphonse…he can't…" Her usually cold eyes looked about to fill with tears.

"Let's talk to Edward." He didn't trust himself to say more.

"Sir."

* * *

Ed had been given his own room, and had been unconscious for apparently three whole days. After Mustang had berated the staff for not notified him that one of his alchemists had been admitted, he and Hawkeye went to see the boy.

Edward was still out and was tied to the bed, a white mitten over his flesh hand. Mustang had seen this before on prisoners who had alchemic skills. The mittens stopped them from pricking a finger and drawing an array in blood to free themselves. Roy was not looking forward to the conversation they would be having. "Fullmetal," he leaned closer, slapping the boy's cheek lightly, "Edward, wake up."

The boy twisted his head away from Roy's hand, pulling at his bonds. "What? Where am I?"

"Fullmetal, you are in Central, in a hospital. Do you remember–"

"Al! We did it, colonel! B-but Al was hurt. He couldn't move, couldn't talk. I tried to get him out, but I was so weak. Someone came! Said I was under arrest. That's it. Where's Al? What was wrong? The transmutation looked perfect. But he was crying! I tried, but I couldn't help him. Where is he? Is he in another room? Is he still scared? He's going to be all right now, right? You helped him, right? Where's my brother?!"

"Edward," Riza didn't know what else to say.

Ed's eyes grew wide and he was visibly starting to panic. "Where's my brother?!"

"We're sorry, Edward. He died this morning." Roy almost bit his tongue at the callousness of his own voice.

Ed's eyes were too wide; it was as if he could no longer see the room. "No," he said breathlessly. "No!" He struggled with his bonds for a moment then fell perfectly still. "Get out."

"I'm sorry, Ed, we–"

"Edward, please," Hawkeye started.

"I said, get out!"

"C'mon, lieutenant."

"But, sir!"

Roy shook his head and she obediently followed him out. Once Roy closed the door he said, "I want him on suicide watch. Keep his arms bound apart with that glove on."

"Do you really think that's–"

"Alphonse!" The heartbreaking scream echoed through the hall. "No, Alphonse."

"Those boys lived for each other for five years. I don't know what his mental state will be. All we can do is wait."

Riza looked through the window on the door. Ed's sobs could still be heard clearly through the wood and glass. "Yes, sir." She sighed, "Should we let him read the report?"

"Do you want to tell him that his brother died screaming for his help?"

She lowered her head, "No, sir."

Mustang sighed, "The only things we can do for Edward now is let him greave and find out who gave those orders."

* * *

_Pain_. After not feeling anything for so long, he'd thought he would welcome even pain. Not true. It was as if every sense was being pushed to its limits. Even in the armor he'd been able to see and hear, but it was different now. The way the faintest of light burned his eyes, or how sound waves pressed air harder against his sensitive inner ear made him scream; how screaming made his throat feel as if it were on fire. Even the soft blanket a woman had laid over him because he had been shivering, felt as if it were trying to tear away his skin.

It had taken a while before he was able to force words from his lips. The woman who brought the blanket was there. Through the pain he only had one thought, Edward. His brother had been holding him, trying to reassure him that they would get help. Then, he only remembered yelling and rough hands dragging him away. He tried to call for his brother. He tried.

The woman had given him a reassuring smile and brushed the hair out of his eyes. He was sure if she had known how much the slight contact had hurt, she would not have done it. She reminded Al of his and Ed's mother. She seemed to care that he was hurting, she brought the blanket because he was shivering, whispered soothing words as she wiped away tears. He wanted to somehow convey that the IVs in each arm were setting his sense of touch on fire. Perhaps if she knew she would take them out? Or at least untie the leather straps around his wrists and ankles that were holding him down. He didn't have the strength to speak, let alone attempt to move.

She had been leaning over him, shining a horrifically bright light into his eyes when he had finally forced himself to speak. One word was all he'd managed to say. It sounded rough and pained, even to his own ears, "Brother."

The woman stared at him, frozen, "W-what did you say?"

Alphonse tried harder this time. _Make a complete sentence,_ he told himself. "My brother, where?" It was close enough to a sentence.

"Brother? Only two chimeras have ever…can you understand me?"

"Y-es."

She ran from the room screaming, "Janlin! Sir! Come quickly."

Alphonse felt himself begin to cry again, tears burning his eyes. He wasn't a chimera, was he? He hadn't seen his body, but he trusted Ed. Maybe he was a homunculus? No. He didn't want to live like that, eating red stones made from human lives. His brother wouldn't have done that! They'd made that mistake once! Edward wouldn't do that to him. Edward would have sealed his soul back onto the armor before that, right? He was human! Ed had held him. He remembered Ed saying that Al was his little brother. He was human!

A man came into the small room; he towered menacingly over Alphonse's helpless form. "Leave us, Sandy," he never took his eyes off of Al, even when the door was slammed shut loudly.

"Please," Alphonse forced out again, "my brother."

"Your brother?" The man laughed, far too loudly. "Who would that be?"

"Edward…Elric. Fullmetal."

"Oh, yes. He was executed yesterday for performing forbidden alchemy."

Al whimpered; any strength he had been gathering washed away. He had even forgotten to breathe until his lungs began to burn and the memory of Ed shaking him and crying out that he had to breathe hit his brain. The colonel wouldn't have let anyone kill Ed. Mustang knew what they had been searching for; why Ed had joined the military. He wouldn't have let them execute his brother! "Co-cur-nl Mus-ng wouldn't– "

"My orders came from above Mustang, boy."

_Boy_?! Through Alphonse's fuzzy mind that caught him as odd. This man knew that he was human!

Al's eyes must have spoke volumes because the man laughed, "That's right, Alphonse Elric. I know who you are. I also know that you are the first and only successful human transmutation. Your brother was a highly skilled alchemist; too highly skilled. He had many of the higher ups very nervous. Especially because of his relationship with Mustang. They know Mustang's plans, and they couldn't have such a powerful alchemist loyal to him around. But your brother's success means a great deal more. It means that it can be done. Once we've completed our tests, we'll know how to replicate his triumph!"

"T-tests?"

"Oh, yes, Alphonse. You will be dissected and studied fully. Just know your death benefited all who are to come. You die for the progress of science."

Alphonse cried and struggled again. He didn't want to die. He was finally human again. He wanted to eat one of Mrs. Hughes' birthday cakes Ed had said tasted so good. He wanted to feel the sun again, to go swimming, to spar with his brother! How could anyone be that cruel? "I-I'm just a kid…"

The man smiled, "Not anymore."

* * *

Roy Mustang was poring over the file he had just been given. When had he allowed himself to care so much for those boys? Perhaps it was that Ed reminded him so much of himself; working for power not for his own sake, but to save someone else?

"Sir?" Hawkeye entered the office, eyes downcast.

"What is it?" He snapped. He'd told her he didn't want to be disturbed.

"It's about Fullmetal…"

"He doesn't want to see anyone, Lieutenant. He's made that perfectly clear."

"He's refusing to eat or drink, sir. Also, he has requested that he be disengaged from any and all medical devices." She sighed heavily offering him a file folder. "As his commanding officer, it requires your approval."

Roy growled, wanted to slam his head into his desk. "I'm not going to approve that idiot committing suicide!"

"Any ideas on how to convince him otherwise?"

He gave another frustrated sigh, _No,_ he thought. How had Hughes stopped him? He needed something tangible; even if that was only revenge. "Something is wrong with the reports. The three witnesses' stories are too similar, almost as if it had been told to them. I want you to call them in here. Don't notify them, just order them in here. Start with this one," he tossed a file to Hawkeye. "I want her in here now."

Hawkeye saluted and left.

Not half an hour later a woman clad in a white lab coat stood in front of Roy Mustang's desk.

"Sandra Cullings reporting as ordered, sir." She stood at perfect attention; she had obviously been in the military for quite some time.

"Do you know why you're here?"

"Yes, sir. The chimera that died yesterday, the one created by the Fullmetal Alchemist."

Roy sighed, "I was hoping that it was a lie."

"Sir?"

"The reports seemed falsified," Roy answered smoothly. Roy watched carefully for any signs that the woman was hiding something. Her eyes had widened at that comment, though it could have only been out of outrage that her loyalty would be questioned. "You were the lead surgeon. What were your findings?"

She swallowed, "Inconclusive."

Roy clenched his jaw; his temper had been waiting to snap. "What would you say if I told you that the thing that you had allowed to die and chopped up was not a chimera, but a fifteen year old boy?"

The woman started to tremble, "Brice Janlin, my commanding officer…he was in charge, sir."

"He never should have been! Edward Elric was under my orders! No one had a right to arrest them without my knowledge. I now have a dead civilian and one of my alchemists trying to commit suicide in medical and all you have to say is that you were following orders?!"

"Fullmetal is alive?" Cullings gasped.

"Of course, he's alive. Though, he hasn't eaten in almost four days."

"Janlin told Alphonse that he was dead. Executed."

"Alphonse?" Roy was taken aback. "How do you know his name?"

Cullings swallowed again, studying Roy's face. "You're trying to protect them, aren't you?"

"I'm the reason Edward became a State Alchemist! Of course I'm doing everything in my power to protect them. Though, it doesn't seem that I did enough!"

Her eyes instantly softened. "He told me I should trust you."

"What?!"

"Alphonse, he told me that I should trust you. He said you would help."

Now Roy was very confused. "Explain," he demanded.

"We hid Alphonse and we did falsify the report. I heard Janlin speaking to him. Telling the boy horrible things. That people higher up had plotted to kill his brother, and succeeded, because he was too powerful; because of his loyalty to you." She paused. "He also said that Alphonse was the first successful human transmutation, that because of what he was he needed to be studied, dissected. Janlin was going to kill an innocent little boy. We may want to know how Fullmetal did it as well, but we are scientists, we aren't cruel. He was so scared. He's also in pain. We needed to transfer him somewhere safe. So we did."

"Alphonse is alive." Roy didn't know why he so desperately needed this woman to say those exact words.

"He was when I left not long ago. But he is severely malnourished, and won't let us help him. He seems to be in pain, but we can't find anything wrong." She swallowed nervously, "We need to get him somewhere safe, sir. And to convince him that he needs to accept our help."

Roy smiled his trademark grin, a plan easily forming. He would help these boys. He could not fail. "I know a way. First we need to get Fullmetal."

* * *

Mustang entered the room, holding a tray leaden with a bowl of hearty soup, a large, overstuffed sandwich, a tall glass of milk and an apple. Sandra Cullings was right behind him. "Alright, Fullmetal, I'm not leaving until this entire tray is empty."

"You'll be waiting a long time," the lifeless voice washed over them.

Roy slid the tray on the table and looked down at the boy. Ed had his face turned away, the white mitten was still on his still bound left hand; his automail arm had been removed.

"I broke the restraint and tried to get out," Ed answered the unspoken question.

"I'll see that it's returned once you eat."

"I told you bastards already! I'm not eating a damn thing!"

"You have to eat, Fullmetal, Al needs you."

Edward turned to face the colonial, pure hate filled his eyes. "Alphonse is dead."

"No," Sandra said softly. Ed was frozen in shock. "We falsified the report. He's been crying out for his brother for two days."

"Crying?" Ed's eyes seemed far away. Imagining his brother in pain, "He was hurt. Is he okay?"

"Physically, he's fine. He seems to be in some kind of pain, but he won't talk to us. And he is refusing to eat. He was already very weak. We're afraid if something doesn't change soon, he'll die."

"How do I know this isn't a trick?"

"Do you think I'm that heartless, Ed?" Mustang replied, no smirk on his face. "Eat and we'll take you to him." Roy removed the mitten and restraint.

Ed ate the sandwich in two bites, gulped down the soup and took a mouthful of apple, "I ain't drinking milk."

Roy smiled, more than satisfied. "Fine. Let's get your arm and find Al."

* * *

Sandra led Roy and Ed to where she and her team had hidden Al. Ed didn't think he'd ever been so horrified in his life at the sight of his brother. Alphonse looked so thin and frail. An IV needle was in each arm. He was sobbing silently, eyes closed. Ed pushed his two escorts aside and almost threw the doctor checking his brother's pulse across the room. "Al?" Tears pooled in his eyes, "Alphonse?" He touched his brother's cheek gently, but Alphonse pulled away as if he'd been burned and cried out as if he'd been struck. "Al, what's wrong?!"

"Brother?" Al opened his eyes, "I'm sorry, Ed! I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Ed forced his voice to be soft and even, forcing back tears. Al needed him to be strong. "What do you have to be sorry for, little brother?"

"They killed you because of me. Because you got my body back. I'm sorry, brother. Please don't hate me. I'm sorry."

Ed climbed onto the bed and wrapped his arms around his brother, pulling him close. He remembered saying something similar. If Al could forgive him for destroying both of their lives, how could he not forgive something that wasn't even the younger boy's fault? "I could never hate you, Al. Never. They didn't kill me. You have to tell me what's wrong; the doctors can't find anything wrong."

"They aren't doctors!" Al cried. "They think I'm a chimera. They want to dissect me. They're going to cut me open while I'm still alive, brother. See if I'm stronger than a human. See if I last longer. That's what he said. It already hurts so much, brother. Please, don't let them hurt me."

Ed gritted his teeth. He didn't know what to do. "They won't hurt you, Al. I promise. But, you have to tell me what hurts." He smiled, "Remember when mom would ask us where it hurt and she'd kiss it and it would feel better?"

"A kiss isn't going to make this better, brother."

Ed closed his eyes, afraid, knowing he had to ask. "Alphonse, did…did I mess up the transmutation?" He tried his hardest to avoid his brother's sparkling tear stained eyes.

"I…I don't think so. I…I think…is it supposed to feel like this, brother? I don't remember. Its…cold? And it's loud. And everything hurts. Is this what it's like to feel? I just want to stop feeling, brother." He cried harder. "I want to sleep, but I don't remember how."

Ed sighed, tears sliding silently down his cheeks. "Am I hurting you, Al? I can just sit next to you."

"No! Don't leave me, please. I'm scared, brother."

"I won't I promise. Is it okay if the doctor gives you something to help you sleep?"

Al nodded. "There's so much to feel. I just want it to stop. Just for a while."

Ed nodded, watching carefully as Sandra filled a syringe. "Al, the doctor is going to give you a shot, okay? It's going to hurt, but it'll help."

"You won't leave, will you, Ed?"

"I won't leave. I'll be waiting for you when you wake up. You still have to try one of Mrs. Hughes cakes, right?"

Al nodded and smiled for the first time, Ed remembered that smile. The younger boy shivered at the alcohol swab and gasped as the needle was pressed into his skin, then almost immediately, his body relaxed and his breathing evened out.

"What's wrong with him?" Ed asked, not moving an inch. He'd promised Al he wouldn't move, and no way in hell was he going to break that promise.

Sandra looked confused, "What did he mean about feeling?"

Ed swallowed, "His body has been missing for years. His soul has been attached to a suit of armor. He hasn't felt anything in five years."

Roy finally cleared his throat. "Can you help him?"

"I…I've never had a case like this before. We could put him on some pain medication; help him build a tolerance to the surroundings. It will take time, but if that's all that is wrong, he should make a full recovery."

Roy nodded. "Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric, you are hereby ordered on indefinite leave, pending a complete review." He almost saw Ed smile, "Go back to Risimbol, we'll find who's responsible. Just take care of Al."

"Mustang, could we stay in Central, just for a while? I don't think Al would like a train ride right now."

Mustang nodded. Your quarters are still yours. It might be easier for the doctor, anyway."

"They won't stop coming after him, will they?" Ed asked, his voice low, afraid. "Because of what I've done, they'll all want to hurt him, study him."

Mustang nodded, "Just get Al better, we'll worry about that after. I'll take care of Janlin until you can get Alphonse back to his normal self. You're both very skilled alchemists, I don't think people will be able to bother either of you when you're in perfect health."

"Thank you, I…thank you for helping me get Al back."

Mustang smiled sadly, "Don't thank me yet, Fullmetal. This isn't over."


End file.
